Distraction
by Jyet
Summary: On the way from Wutai to Gold Saucer, the party takes cover from a storm in an abandoned mine. Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa and Vincent end up exploring and find that darkness can hide a lot of things.
1. Safe Harbor

**Chapter One: Safe Harbor**

"Are we there yet?"

A sigh went up from the whole party and Barret glared at Yuffie. "If you start askin' that, I'm gonna send you into the desert to make sure there's no quicker way to get to Gold Saucer." He turned away as Yuffie made a face at him. "I know Corel needs money an' all, but shit, who builds a cable car from the Planet's biggest casino to the middle of nowhere?"

Red XIII shrugged as he moved through the tall grass of the plains. "That's why it's there – Dio could get away with paying North Corel less than if he'd built it somewhere busier, closer to Costa del Sol."

"Oh no, don't y'all start talkin' economics again," said Cid. "Soured me on the whole subject with that crackpot scheme of runnin' materia across the continent."

"'Crackpot?'" Yuffie grew indignant, more so than usual. "I'll have you know there's a huge price differential between basic magic materia in Rocket Town and Costa del Sol…"

Cloud held up his hand to get the group's attention. "We're not going to make it to North Corel before sundown. We should probably look for a place to camp out for the night."

"Are you sure we can't make it, Cloud?" He looked at Aeris and concern was in her eyes as well as her voice. "We don't know how far ahead of us Sephiroth is, and it's not entirely safe sleeping outside."

"A good reason to find shelter before it gets much darker," said Vincent. As he spoke, a drop of rain hit his shoulder and ran down the gauntlet on his arm. Another drop made a pinging sound as it fell straight onto the metal.

"Yeah, that does it," said Tifa as she glanced over at the source of the noise. Vincent raised his eyes from the trickle of water on his arm to Tifa's face as she turned away. "Let's head for the forest over there and see if we can't find somewhere to hole up."

"I don't know… looks kind of ominous to me." Cait Sith seemed to shiver a little atop his moogle, which carried the group's traveling supplies in a large crate.

"You've got a megaphone, scare the monsters away." Tifa and the rest of the party followed Cloud as he heeded her advice and headed toward the trees.

The rain picked up and the scattered drops became a light shower. The group's banter faded with the light as the trees and clouds above blocked out the setting sun. Soon the only sounds were the crunching of leaves on the forest floor and the faint hiss of the rain.

_Crack!_ A flash lit the forest as lightning struck somewhere nearby. Yuffie jumped and Aeris, walking next to Cloud, drew closer to him. Cloud could feel the rain grow heavier on his hair and shoulders. Cid swore softly as his cigarette went out.

"Hey, we gotta find somewhere quick or we're gonna be wetter than…" Cid trailed off as Tifa and Aeris turned, their eyebrows raised slightly, before he finished, "…the, uh, hull of a submarine!"

"Up there!" Cait Sith pointed to a dim light ahead of them. They all started to jog through what was now a full-fledged downpour. As they got closer, Cloud could see that the light was coming from what looked like a cave entrance. It glowed brightly against the imposing darkness of the mountain range above.

A slight incline led to the mouth of the cave, and the party quickly ran up, stopping to rest just inside. Those with extra layers to take off did so, as the sudden lack of falling rain made everyone realize how soaked they were. Barret tilted his gun arm in an attempt to get the water away from the cartridges inside. "Damnit, we better not be fightin' anytime soon…"

Tifa shook her hair and leaned back on the rock wall next to one of two tunnels that went deeper into the cave, before raising her head to look around. Shivering slightly, she folded her arms across her chest. "Where are we? How is it lit?"

"Relax, it's probably an ol' coal mine," said Barret. He gestured toward two tunnels before them, both of which emanated light. "Bet they started using Mako bulbs before they closed down, an' never bothered to turn 'em off. Usin' Shinra's power even as it put 'em outta business…" Barret pounded the wall of the cave in brief flash of anger and immediately regretted it.

There was a faint noise, and a few pebbles slipped out from a support beam nearby. Red's tail twitched anxiously. "Barret, the miners thoroughly reinforced their mine shafts, right…?" Before Barret could answer, Cait Sith's moogle automaton lumbered in and dropped the group's large box of supplies on the cave floor with a _thud_. There was another rumble, much louder this time, and the top of the tunnel above Tifa started to shake.

"Look out!" warned Aeris. Vincent dove forward in a dark blur and tackled Tifa, pushing her down the tunnel and out of the way of a large rock that fell where she had stood. Everyone watched helplessly as more stones slid down after the first big one and created a pile that blocked the path. As the shaking subsided, Cloud and Cid moved forward to try and lift the rocks, but Barret grabbed their shoulders and held them back.

"Look at those things, man! Trust me, you can't move 'em, an' if you try, you're riskin' another cave-in. Damn, kicked up coal dust, too." Cloud shook loose and got as close as he dared as a cloud of earth and glittering dust rose from the pile of rocks.

"Tifa! Vincent! Are you alright?"

* * *

><p><em>We're okay.<em> Tifa tried to tell Cloud, but wasn't able to get the words out. She was coughing and couldn't stop. Dark dust kicked up by the falling rocks hung in the air, looking like shiny smoke in the cold Mako light. Vincent slowly lifted himself off her, grunting slightly and Tifa sat up, coughed once more and tried speaking again. She was barely able to make out Cloud's words through the stone and she hoped he could hear her call to him.

"We're okay, Cloud!" She took a breath and inhaled more of the dust, succumbing to another coughing fit. Vincent took off his bandana and offered it to Tifa, his face unreadable as he looked at her. She nodded in thanks and clutched the fabric over her face, using it as a filter.

They heard Aeris. "Can you see anything? We can try to go deeper and meet up with you."

Vincent looked away from the pile of dirt and stone cutting them off. The tunnel extended further into the mountain, appearing to be lit at least to the point where it curved off to the left and out of view. His high collar and altered physique prevented the coal dust from having much effect on him, and he turned back to reply to Aeris. "Yes – the tunnel's lit and there may be a way out. Tifa's inhaled a large amount of what was kicked up by the collapse, but she should recover if we move away from here."

Barret's voice was the next to come through. "Okay, but careful! You got _damn_ lucky. When the storm lets up, we can come back with some guys an' equipment from North Corel an' dig you out – make sure you don't get squashed for real before then."

Vincent helped Tifa to her feet and she leaned against him, her breaths coming a bit easier as they moved deeper into the mine.


	2. Priorities

**Chapter Two: Priorities**

Barret examined the piece of splintered wood he'd picked up from near the pile of fallen rocks. "Figures – they'd jes' dug this out an' hadn't reinforced it yet."

"So is it actually safe to go any farther?" Cloud asked, looking at the ceiling of the unblocked tunnel. Metal beams supported the weight of the mountain above. Barret walked over and rapped one of the beams with his knuckles, and there was a dull, thick ring.

"Yeah, these'll hold. But now that I think about it…"

Aeris perked up. "Oh! Cloud, try the PHS. We can at least know if they get in trouble that way."

Red shook his head. "I don't think it will work. All the rock would block the signal." Barret seemed to consider a moment and nodded in agreement.

A gust of wind blew in from the cave entrance and Yuffie shivered aloud. "So we can go deeper, right?"

"Yeah," replied Cloud, starting down the tunnel with the rest following his lead. Cait Sith clambered off his moogle and marched along behind everyone.

They walked in silence, the artificial light throwing sharp shadows onto the wall beside them. A few times the path seemed to split, but each time there was just a dead end. Sometimes a few planks or tools lying around indicated an intention to continue a branch tunnel, but more often there was nothing.

Eventually they turned a corner and found that the tunnel widened into a sort of chamber. There were no further paths, just mostly smooth rock wall on each side. Water dripped, one drop at a time, from a small shaft in the ceiling. "Shit," said Cid. He reached for his cigarettes, pulling one out before remembering they were soaked straight through.

A glow in one corner of the room caught Yuffie's eye. The wires from the lights strung along the cave walls ran to a pair of materia in a box on the floor. As she leaned over, wondering what kind of materia they were, there was a slight sparking sound and the lights flickered once before going out.

"Damnit!" Barret's rough voice echoed. "You had to go an' mess with the materia, didn't you?"

Yuffie held up her hands, although no one could see the gesture. "I didn't touch it!" She pulled out a few of her own materia and tried swapping them for the ones in the generator, but nothing happened.

"Did you _breathe_ on it?" asked Cid. "C'mon, folks. We're smackin' the walls, droppin' shit, screwin' around with the lights now…"

"Calm down, everyone." Aeris put as much reassurance into her voice as she could. "We can get our things from the front of the cave and camp out. I bet the dripping water means that hole's a ventilation shaft, so we can light a fire. Right, Barret?"

"Yeah. Bet this was gonna be kind of a stagin' area for goin' further. Wonder what stopped 'em…" Barret trailed off and there was silence for a second before he continued. "Awright, Spiky, lead us back."

Cloud turned to leave and tripped over something. He reached down to see what it was and felt something furry. "Red?"

"I'm back here, Cloud." The small flame on Red's tail hovered in the darkness. "That must be Cait Sith." Cloud lifted the small cat-thing and shook it slightly.

"Hey, Cloud. I'm-" Cait Sith spoke haltingly. "Back up. The entrance."

Yuffie had wound up standing next to Cloud. "What's wrong with him?" She found Cloud's arm and put her hand on it. Cloud sent her an inquisitive look that was lost in the darkness.

"I don't know. Let's just head back." Carrying Cait Sith, he started back up the tunnel. As Cloud walked, Cait Sith stirred and jumped out of his hands.

"Alright, I'm fine. Uh, but I'm going to guard the entrance. Better signal- I mean, I can signal if something's coming." He sprinted ahead and Cloud shrugged.

"What a strange little creature," remarked Aeris.

When the group got back to the mouth of the cave, they could just barely make out the outline of the moogle standing next to the crate of supplies. Occasionally lightning would flash outside and it would be backlit for an instant, standing motionless without its rider. At Cait Sith's order, the robot cracked open the lid of the crate. Cid came up next to Cloud and started rummaging, first pulling out a spare lighter and a dry pack of cigarettes. He flicked the lighter on and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag and sighing in pleasure before holding the flame up so everyone could find their things.

Cloud and Barret lifted out a tent, putting it to one side so they could get to the sleeping bags below it. Aeris took one of the bags and started back down the tunnel, holding out a materia to light her way, while Yuffie fished around and came up with a bag of marshmallows. Red sniffed faintly. "Were you planning on making s'mores?"

"Nah, don't have any chocolate. But delicious puffy sugar's good enough by itself!" She tore open the bag, looking at Cloud as she slid a marshmallow into her mouth. Then she bounded away, following Aeris. Cloud watched the two for a long moment.

"That girl does not need to be eating sugar," said Red.

Barret sighed and Cloud turned his attention back to the guys at the crate. "It's like nothin' gets to her 'sides materia. Tifa an' Vincent could be layin' under a rock, an' she'd go through their pockets for glowin' stones before botherin' to break out a Phoenix Down."

Cid shook his head. "Nah, she knows they can handle themselves. You're worryin' too much about them, Barret. Vincent's packin' heat, and so is Tifa." He started to chuckle before glancing up at Cloud with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry. She's a helluva fighter."

He returned to searching through the crate, talking around his cigarette as he did so. "Shame Vince didn't have one of these here big guns on him. Or hell, these… here, Cloud, hold this out of the way for me real quick."

Cloud reached down and lifted a small case of grenades so Cid could get to something beneath it. The older man paused for a second, considering the explosives. "Wait, Barret, could we use these grenades to blow the hell outta them rocks?"

"Oh, no no no. Don't be settin' off bombs where the ceilin' could fall in. Man, that's what I'm worried about – another cave-in, not Tifa an' Vincent fightin' off rats." Cloud put down the case of grenades and tossed Barret a sleeping bag as Cid pulled his spear out from the box. "You think you'll need that?" Barret asked.

Cid grinned. "It ain't for fightin'. We're gonna have a fire and marshmallows, and I don't see many sticks layin' around."


	3. Ninja Instincts

**Chapter Three: Ninja Instincts**

The fire was probably the smallest one they'd lit on their whole journey. With the only other wood around outside and soaked with rain, the little flames were fueled by the remnants of the support beams from near the entrance. They gave off just enough warmth to keep everyone from shivering.

Aeris stuck a marshmallow on the tip of Cid's spear and awkwardly held it out over the fire. Her arms shook a little with the weight of the weapon and the marshmallow dipped into the flames. She quickly pulled the spear back toward her and blew on the flaming ball of sugar, tentatively popping it in her mouth once it was out. Cloud could barely make out her smiling at him across the fire as she chewed. "Mmph, 's not bad."

Cid passed Aeris his lighter. "Use that for your next one." He leaned forward and slowly reached toward the fire with a cigarette, quickly pulling back when flame licked the tip and set it alight. Yuffie whistled.

"Ooh, cool. Lighting it that way, I mean." She pulled a marshmallow from her bag and stood over the fire, carefully lowering it with her fingers. A piece of firewood suddenly cracked and a small tongue of flame shot up. "Aaah!" Yuffie stumbled backward, frantically shaking her hand. Her marshmallow flew over the fire and Red snapped it out of the air.

The ninja tripped on a tin of food, spun and fell heavily onto Cloud, knocking him into his bedroll. "Sorry!" she said sheepishly. Across the fire, Aeris couldn't help but giggle, and looked away. Yuffie reached down to lift herself off Cloud, one hand going straight to the ground and the other quickly sliding along his leg as she moved it to the cave floor. Knowing her body blocked the others' view, she met Cloud's surprised eyes with a sly look before giving him a quick peck on the cheek and rolling off him in one smooth motion.

Cid and Barrett were laughing at whole scene, even as Yuffie made a show of massaging her slightly singed fingers. "Ow…" she muttered. Cloud sat up, crossing his legs and leaning forward a bit as Yuffie looked up. "Oh well, woulda been worse without my ninja instincts." She winked at Cloud, the small motion imperceptible to the rest of the party.

"'Ninja instincts'!" Barret couldn't stop laughing now. "Congrats, Yuffie – you managed to cheer me up." He let out a contented sigh and considered for a moment. "Cid, you got a spare cigarette?"

"Be my guest. Just make sure you light it on the side of the fire, not the top!" Cid chuckled as he passed the pack to Barret.

"Real funny, guys. At least Cloud respects my skills." She looked down at him, her mischievous eyes seeking confirmation.

Cloud was absently rubbing his cheek, still somewhat taken aback, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "You're the most dexterous person alive, Yuffie."

Cid coughed as he started laughing again. "Good one, kid!"

"Ugh." Yuffie got to her feet. "I'll be back."

"Hey, where you goin'? Don't go off alone now."

"Call of nature, gramps." She walked down the tunnel.

Barret chuckled. "How long you all think it'll be before she realizes she can't see a damn thing?"

As if on cue, Yuffie's voice came echoing down the tunnel. "Um, Cloud, can you bring me the Fire materia or something? I can't see anything!"

Cloud didn't think he had it on him, but checked his pockets anyway and was surprised to find a glowing orb. He stood up and held it out in front of him for light as he followed the path Yuffie had taken. "I'm coming," he called, a little warily.

He found Yuffie a couple hundred feet up the tunnel, leaning on the wall next to an alcove that had been the start of a branch tunnel and rhythmically tapping her foot against the edge of some wooden planks that lay on the floor. "Hey, thanks!" she said loudly, taking the materia. Cloud turned to head back to the fire, but she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, standing slightly on her toes to kiss him.

Their lips pressed together and Yuffie slipped an arm around Cloud to draw him closer. For a second Cloud didn't move. His eyes closed at the feeling of her warm body against him before he composed himself and pulled away. "Yuffie… this isn't… where is all this coming from?" he asked under his breath.

She smiled as she whispered back, her teeth glimmering faintly in the pale glow of the materia and Cloud's eyes. "I don't know. Watching you fight, you're always so cool, so stoic. Honorable, sorta. They say opposites attract, you know." She leaned into Cloud again. "C'mon, relax."

"You planned that fall earlier, didn't you?" He wasn't moving away and Yuffie felt she could pause to answer.

"Uh, not exactly. But I made the best of the situation." Her lips were closing in on his now. "Same thing here."

Cloud sighed as put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away, her feet moving back until her heel bumped the edge of one of the boards on the ground. "Come on, we don't have time for this. What were you planning on doing, making out until someone wonders why I'm taking so long to bring you a light?"

Yuffie's smile didn't falter. "That's your only objection?" Cloud could feel little puffs of her warm sugary breath on his face and he tried to articulate to himself why he shouldn't go along with whatever Yuffie wanted. She slipped between his arms and he reflexively closed them around her. "Thought so."

Through her brown strands Cloud saw the rock wall behind her and he thought of Tifa, lost somewhere in the mine. His arms fell and he leaned away.

"It's… not a good time." Yuffie's grin faded. She took a step back from him and half-turned away. "You're not going to sulk now, are you?" Cloud took two steps toward the ninja, not really knowing what he intended to do.

His first step made a hollow sound on the planks below them, but before Cloud had time to consider what that meant, his other foot came down and went straight through the wood. He heard Yuffie start to say something before the whole floor collapsed from under them.

The two fell down a small mine shaft for a few feet before landing on steeply sloped ground, where their fall turned into a slide down the earth and rock. Cloud tried to brace himself against the tunnel wall, but only managed to slow down a little. Ahead of him, he saw Yuffie lose her grip on the materia, and it rolled ahead of them, out of view.

After a few seconds the steep slope turned into a gentle incline and their descent slowed until the tunnel opened with a slight dropoff. Yuffie tried to land on her feet, but stumbled and ended up facedown underneath Cloud as he followed her trajectory.

He raised his head to look at their surroundings. The stray Fire materia lay in a corner somewhere, its glow showing rough rock forming a small cavern around them. Beneath him, Yuffie coughed once before speaking. "I wasn't sulking."

Cloud shifted his weight to one side so it wasn't all pressing into Yuffie. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked – she wasn't moving from where she was sprawled on the ground and that worried him. Yuffie coughed again.

"Don't think so. I definitely didn't break anything, anyway."

"Can you move, just to make sure?"

She let out a breath with a hint of exasperation as she rolled onto her side, resting her back on Cloud's chest. "I'm sore. But hey, you're soft…"

"Yuffie…" Cloud tried to sound serious, at first thinking that now _really_ wasn't a good time to go through this again, but he as he thought about it he quickly realized their situation wasn't that bad. They could probably climb back up the way they'd come. The others would soon start looking for them, and the two of them could always try yelling up the shaft, though that risked triggering another cave-in.

At worst, they might have to try and find another way back up, but Cid had been right that Tifa and Vincent could handle themselves; couldn't he and Yuffie do the same? Everyone would be alright.

So here he was, alone with Yuffie. No shared childhood trauma, no talk of destiny and eternity, no cryptic references to the past or prophecies about the future. Just a confused mercenary-turned-rebel and a hyperactive, mostly trustworthy, semi-reformed materia thief. Was it that simple?

She had nestled back against him and Cloud shifted to look down at her. It seemed like she was about to fall asleep, but she felt his slight movement and turned her head around to look at him. They stayed like that, eyes locked, for a long, long moment before Cloud leaned down and kissed her.

Yuffie eagerly returned the kiss, lifting her head from Cloud's arm and pressing her body into him. Cloud ran his hand down her leg, feeling a few scratches marring the otherwise smooth skin. The ninja twisted a bit, not moving her lips from his but making room for to Cloud to slide his other arm under her. His fingers just brushed the fabric of her shirt before their lips broke apart as they heard gunshots from somewhere nearby.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Tifa and Vincent – they'll be in the next chapter.<em>


	4. Advance and Retreat

**Chapter Four: Advance and Retreat**

Tifa walked alongside Vincent down the tunnel, her breaths still a little shallow from the coal dust she'd inhaled earlier. The passage seemed to stretch on and on even though she guessed they'd only been walking for a few minutes. Neither of them had a watch, or anything else to tell the time by – the dim screen of the PHS she carried displayed only a lost signal icon.

She turned to Vincent. "What are we going to do if we have to wait for the others to come back and dig us out? We don't have any food or water." Distractedly, Tifa ran her hands down her sides, trying to brush off the black stains on her still-damp shirt. Vincent continued to look ahead, his face blank.

"I wouldn't worry. We weren't that far from North Corel. Besides…" He stopped suddenly and looked at the roof of the tunnel. Tifa continued a few paces before she realized he was no longer beside her. She came to a halt and looked at Vincent before following his gaze at the side of the tunnel behind them. There was only a Mako bulb hanging from the wall, with a wire running away from it. Vincent glanced at the ceiling again before speaking. "Tifa, have you-"

The lights went out. Tifa crouched reflexively, ready to fight, and she heard the soft sound of Vincent's gun coming out of its holster. There was no sound, and in the darkness the silence and tension quickly grew unbearable. Tifa was about to say something, anything, just to calm her nerves, before Vincent asked quietly, "Have you seen any support beams recently, Tifa?"

Tifa cocked her head as she quickly tried to remember, while still scanning the darkness as if something would leap toward them at any moment. "No… why?"

"It's odd. I don't know much about mining, but I don't believe this tunnel was bored. Regardless, I doubt Corel would be able to afford the machines it would take to do that."

"What does that mean, then?"

"Nothing, necessarily. Just that the miners likely stumbled across this tunnel rather than digging it themselves." Tifa heard the sound of metal on cloth again as Vincent re-holstered his pistol and she relaxed – a little. Vincent continued, "As for the lights, they haven't been maintained. The generator probably shorted out."

Tifa frowned to herself. "Pretty bad timing." Vincent took a few steps and then there was a rustling sound as he slid down the tunnel wall and sat on the ground. Tifa remained standing. "What if it wasn't the generator?"

"We can't go on without any light, Tifa. Sit down for a minute. It wouldn't hurt for you to rest, either."

She knew he was right and sat, extending her legs in front of her. Leather brushed her calves and she jumped a bit. "Sorry about that," Tifa said, feeling awkward as both her and Vincent drew their legs back.

"Hm." Vincent sounded faintly amused. "No problem, Tifa."

"You keep saying my name. Why, when you don't… I'm the only…" She didn't know why she'd brought it up.

A slight sound as Vincent shifted. "I apologize. I'll stop saying it." Tifa blushed, feeling embarrassed although she knew he couldn't see her face.

"No! I mean, I don't mind," she said. "It's just strange to hear my name this many times in quick succession. I guess it's your way of speaking."

"I try to be polite." Vincent's voice seemed less cold than usual, and Tifa imagined him grinning, despite never having seen even the hint of a smile from the man.

Silence fell again and Tifa yawned, feeling time creep by. Her eyes closed and she dozed off briefly before quickly jerking her head up. A lock of her hair, still slightly damp from the rain, brushed her arm and she shivered. "Are you cold?" Vincent asked. Before she could answer, there was a series of small snaps followed by a quick whispering sound, and Tifa was suddenly enveloped in cloth. Vincent had removed his cloak and tossed it her way.

"Being polite again?" she asked as she wrapped it around her. The frayed ends of the fabric fell on her knees, tickling a little.

"I don't need it."

"Why do you wear it? You don't see capes very often."

"I don't know. Honestly, it just reminds me of…" He trailed off and there was a metallic sound as his left arm scraped against the rock wall.

"…Hojo?"

"My sins."

"Oh." Tifa didn't know what to say and Vincent seemed to sense it.

"You don't have to respond to that. You wouldn't understand."

Tifa frowned, slightly annoyed by his presumption. "Try me. Get it off your chest." Some unpleasant emotion scurried between them as Vincent laughed once, his voice harsh.

"I dreamed for thirty years. I dreamed about my failures and who I allowed to suffer and die, and I have years, centuries, an eternity left to think about them. It's not long enough." Vincent's tone, the ferocity he directed at himself, softened Tifa's earlier irritation at the ex-Turk.

"We killed people – dozens, maybe hundreds." Hearing Vincent confess to her, even in such a vague way, reminded Tifa of what happened back in Midgar. "The Planet was healed, just a tiny bit, because we added souls to the Lifestream." She paused before continuing. "And it didn't stop Shinra. They crushed _thousands_ and we couldn't…" Tifa felt like she should cry or break down, but was still somehow detached from it all. Instead she put her head in Vincent's cloak and took a deep breath.

Suddenly he was crouching beside her. "I apologize. I've had decades to ponder what I've done, and you've had weeks." She could feel his hand reach out tentatively before it fell on her shoulder. He squeezed very lightly, as if he was unsure of how to reassure someone. "You're just starting to realize you aren't a saint. Most people don't accept that about themselves." Cruelty, sadness and respect all swirled together in Vincent's words, and Tifa felt better and worse at the same time.

"What about the people you let die? Did they realize it?"

A long pause. "I don't know. Maybe she did."

It took Tifa a second to realize what he meant. "You cared for her." Tifa's could hear the sadness in his voice. "Did you ever tell her?"

"No. She never truly knew how I felt."

"It's funny, isn't it," Tifa said. "You want someone, and you almost assume they can feel it radiating off you." She laughed coldly. "And they've _got_ to feel the same way about you, right? And they must be too shy to tell you, or they're waiting for the right moment. But you slowly realize…" Tifa trailed off, sensing that Vincent had frozen, his hand still on her shoulder, and she felt like she had said something wrong.

"Vincent?" As Tifa turned toward where she thought he was, reflexively trying to look at him despite the total darkness, his lips pressed against hers and she froze at the completely unexpected sensation. Vincent immediately pulled away, feeling her surprise. "What was that?" she asked. His hand had retreated from her shoulder to her arm, and she realized that he had remained in front of her, their faces maybe a foot apart. She was grateful he couldn't see her cheeks, and immediately wondered if he was blushing with embarrassment too. Was he capable of that?

"You said you were waiting for the right moment." Vincent's voice was almost flat, but Tifa thought she could hear a hint of something, some emotion she couldn't identify. "I obviously misinterpreted you." His hand didn't leave her arm.

"I didn't mean…" Tifa found herself unable to say any more and almost laughed aloud. She could talk to Vincent about mass murder but not about her feelings, her stupid feelings that lingered from her childhood and wouldn't go away. The inquisitive ghost of Vincent's breath slowly made its way across her face and she found herself asking, "Are… you in love with me, Vincent?" She cringed at the way it came out. But she knew what she wanted the answer to be.

"No," he said and Tifa breathed a sigh of relief. "But you don't have to love someone to want them," he continued, and that cold and true statement stirred something inside her. She pictured him, another handsome survivor of Shinra's madness and even though the colors were wrong, black and red instead of blond and blue, Tifa found herself moving her head forward until her lips landed on Vincent's cheek. He turned his head and their mouths met again.

His tongue parted her lips as he explored her mouth and she wrapped her arms around his back to pull him against her. On one knee, his lips still locked with Tifa's, Vincent managed to slide his cloak out from between them and tossed it to one side as he leaned into her. His chest pressed against hers as his left hand went to the wall to brace himself.

Tifa slid down the rock wall a bit as their lips crushed together harder and harder. Vincent's right hand moved from Tifa's arm to her thigh, shaking slightly. She felt his fingers graze her skin hesitantly, gently, such a contrast with the way their lips were almost fighting. In the two weeks or so she'd known him she hadn't seen anything approaching tenderness. It reminded her of a kid with clear blue eyes sitting near a well on a starry Nibelheim night.

Tifa abruptly stopped kissing Vincent, or rather tried to, wincing and making a little noise of pain as her head hit the rock behind her. Vincent's head chased hers and Tifa could swear he actually growled a little as she pushed him away, finally breaking their lips apart.

He was breathing hard and she could feel an unasked question hanging in the air. "Vincent, I'm sorry… I can't… it's not right." His hand was still on her thigh and her muscles tensed as she felt his fingers curl a bit. Tifa remembered what he could turn into and she couldn't stop a little wave of fear from running through her before Vincent's head landed on her shoulder and knocked it away. His hand slid to the floor of the tunnel and he let out a sigh that might have held anger or frustration or sorrow, or all of those things.

Very slowly, Tifa reached her hand around to Vincent's back in what she hoped was a sign of friendly comfort. She heard Vincent murmur something into her shoulder. "What was that?" she asked.

He lifted his head. "I asked for forgiveness." Tifa frowned.

"Vincent, it's okay. If anything…"

His voice was empty again as he cut her off. "I wasn't asking you. I was-" He broke off suddenly and she felt him freeze. Tifa was about to ask what was wrong until he suddenly rose to his feet. She felt like she should apologize to him, even though she knew that they had just let their misplaced desire carry them away.

"Vincent-" she began.

"Quiet!" he hissed. "Didn't you hear that?" As the rustling sounds of Vincent adjusting his clothing stopped, she strained to hear something.

_Click. Click-click-click._ An irregular tapping sound, like something scurrying up the tunnel. Tifa quickly stood up. "Rats?" she whispered.

"No. Something bigger." She heard the sound of Vincent's gun sliding out of his holster once again, and this time, the snap of the safety as he thumbed it off. The clicking sound slowly grew louder, and it seemed to come more often. Suddenly she heard a hiss and a sharper, more solid _click_ among the rest. It sounded like teeth snapping together.

Something swished faintly behind Tifa and she spun, her heart starting to beat faster again. Vincent had found his cloak on the tunnel floor and threw it between them. "I'm not waiting until it's on top of us before I find out what it is," he said. He opened the cylinder of his revolver and slid a cartridge out, a thin metal sound followed by a slight pop as he worked the cartridge apart with his fingers, throwing first the bullet and then the shell aside. "Stand back," Vincent warned as he snapped the cylinder shut and knelt.

He slammed the metal butt of his pistol into the small pile of gunpowder he'd poured on his cape and it ignited with a blinding flash. Tifa caught a brief glimpse of Vincent drawing back from the bright light before it dimmed to an orange glow. On the ground, his cape caught fire, flame spreading across the fabric.

Tifa saw the shadows first, several large flat spots on the cave walls. They seemed to shift in size under the fire's flickering light. Then she saw the claws, tapping their way along the rock, affixed to legs supporting the weight of some kind of creatures.

Another bright flash as Vincent's gun roared, incredibly loud in the small space. From the muzzle flash Tifa got a better look at the things, a snapshot that lingered as the flame grew on the ground.

They looked like some kind of insects, but big and menacing, large jaws clacking together. Tifa didn't feel any kind of horror or revulsion – traveling halfway around the Planet, they'd encountered more monsters than she had ever imagined could exist. This was just another obstacle, one more distraction from their journey. One of the things crawled slowly around the fire before scuttling surprising quickly toward Tifa. She kicked it away swiftly, hearing its hiss even through the ringing in her ears, then two more pops from Vincent's pistol. "Back up!" he shouted.

"No, we'll be cornered eventually!" More monsters might lurk down the tunnel, but they'd have to chance running by these things and pray there actually was some alternate path out of the mine. Vincent fired again and ran toward the insects, gesturing for her to follow him. She dodged the flaming cloak on the ground. The fire was dwindling as it consumed the rest of the fabric, but another flash illuminated the tunnel and there were no other creatures in sight ahead of them. Vincent turned back and fired his last shot before the two sprinted down the sloping tunnel, deeper into the cave.

* * *

><p><em>AN: After Tifa's escape from Junon, Vincent says something like "...So glad you're alright, Tifa." Granted, half the sentences in the game have weighty ellipses in them, but that particular phrasing seemed to hint at something._

_Thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far!_


	5. Reconsidering

**Chapter Five: Reconsidering**

Cloud's lips were suspended above Yuffie's, their kiss broken by the sound of gunfire. There was a moment where neither of them moved, as if hoping they'd misheard something, and then came another sharp crack. Yuffie quickly scooted away from Cloud and they both got to their feet.

Their stray Fire materia lay glowing in a corner and Cloud walked over, bending to retrieve it. "It's probably Vincent and Tifa, we've got to let them know we're here."

Yuffie laughed. "Uh, and figure out what they're shooting at. C'mon, Cloud, you used to be a soldier or something, right?" Cloud paused mid-crouch and turned his head to look at her. His eyes brought the edges of her mouth down a little, like she'd said something wrong.

Cloud turned back to pick up the materia and straightened up. "Well, that part was obvious, so I left it out." She stuck out her tongue in response, and a smile found its way onto his face before he shook his head, trying to focus. "We need to find a way out of here." Yuffie opened her mouth to speak and then closed it as Cloud glanced over at her. "I know, I know. Don't say it."

They both turned to the tunnel they had slid down earlier. There was another gunshot and a few pebbles skittered out of the opening as they peered inside and up the slope. Yuffie made a skeptical sound and Cloud agreed with her assessment – it didn't seem promising. They turned away and looked around the cavern.

The rock around them was rough, and a few large pieces of stone lay on the ground. Cloud held up the Fire materia and concentrated, trying to generate more light without casting a spell. He hadn't used the materia for this long before, and was surprised at how quickly it grew uncomfortably warm in his hand. "Yes!" Yuffie pointed to one corner and Cloud immediately stopped trying to coax more light out of the hot crystal.

In the fading glow, he saw Yuffie's grin as she turned to him. "I think those rocks are just in a pile. The light seemed to kinda go on past them." They began pulling at the stones, gingerly at first, and then with more force once it was clear they weren't supporting anything. Two more gunshots echoed.

The rocks had been blocking the small chamber off from a larger tunnel that ran in two directions. Cloud and Yuffie hesitated, not sure which way to go, until another shot and a dim flash came from their right. "Hey!" Cloud called as he heard rapidly approaching footsteps.

"Cloud!" Tifa answered him as her and Vincent's outlines came close enough to be illuminated by the materia in Cloud's hand. Tifa ran to Cloud and embraced him, then pulled away before he could hug her back. She leaned over and put her hands on her thighs, coughing, and above her Cloud saw a pair of sharp red eyes watching him.

Shells clinked on the rock floor as Vincent emptied his revolver. He slid in fresh cartridges as he said, "There are some kind of insects in here. We ran by them to avoid getting cornered." Vincent snapped the cylinder shut, his face asking how the other two had ended up there. Yuffie spoke first.

"We'd set up camp for the night, I had to go off alone for something and Cloud kindly brought me a light before taking the floor out from under us," she explained quickly. Cloud started to object to the way the ninja was describing things, but she lightly punched his arm and talked over him. "Hey, no, _I_ didn't break those boards, so yeah, it's your fault." Yuffie made a face and asked of no one in particular, "What are bugs doing in here?"

Rubbing his arm, Cloud answered her. "It's dark, warm in the winter, and they probably had …food… for a while when there was mining going on." He was painfully aware that neither of them had a weapon, just the Fire materia. But Vincent had his gun, and Tifa… "Are you alright?" he asked, as she cleared her lungs and straightened up.

"Yeah. I'm still short of breath from breathing in that coal dust earlier, and… and I just had to flee from killer bugs. But I'm up for more action now." Tifa looked at where Cloud and Yuffie had come from. "You said you fell?"

Cloud turned back to the small chamber they'd slid into earlier. "Sort of. There were some planks covering a shaft that led here." He walked over and pulled himself up and into the mouth of the shaft, a couple feet above the ground. "I'll see if I can get back up." Cloud started to crawl, but the angle soon grew too steep, and he struggled to keep from sliding back down. He managed to wedge himself in place long enough to shake a mental image of being crushed to death by another cave-in and yell "_Hey!_" up the shaft. As his voice boomed upwards, his foot slipped out from behind him and he fell back down. "No luck," he said over his shoulder as he crawled out.

"Oh, man…" said Yuffie. There was a faint tapping and a wet hiss as the monsters Vincent and Tifa had run past followed them down the tunnel. "How many bullets have you got?" Yuffie asked Vincent.

"About a dozen. The rest are with our supplies."

"We have to keep going deeper, then," said Tifa.

"I bet we can fight 'em off!" Yuffie shadowboxed the air. "How many were there?"

Cloud shook his head. "Tifa's right. Maybe with Fire spells we can take out the ones nearby, but what if there are more? How long will it take-" He stopped, listening. A faint noise came down the open shaft. Cloud and the others crowded around, trying to hear.

"_Cloud?_" They could just hear Barret's voice. Cloud cringed as he took a deep breath, then leaned into the opening and yelled as loudly as he could in response.

"_Yeah! Rope!_"

"_Got it! Hang on!"_

Cloud sighed and leaned against the cave wall. "We _did_ have rope with us, right?" asked Tifa.

"Cloud." Vincent was leaning into the tunnel with his gun drawn. "They're still coming." He cocked his head and listened for a second. "From both directions. I need light to aim by."

Cloud nodded. "Yuffie, stay back and wait for the others to drop a rope down." She started to protest, but Cloud continued. "You don't have your shuriken and I don't think you're used to fighting without a weapon. Tell us when… _if_ there's a rope and then get out of here." Yuffie nodded and sent an air kiss toward Cloud. He looked toward Tifa, but she was already turned away, heading toward Vincent in the tunnel. Cloud moved to join them.

In the glow of the materia in Cloud's hand, the three could see shapes coming toward them. Vincent cocked his revolver and aimed down the tunnel, the way he and Tifa had come. Once he'd drawn a bead on the first monster, he squeezed the trigger and part of the bug's carapace exploded onto the rock wall. It continued to crawl toward him with its front legs, and Vincent could see its jaws moving before he sent another bullet crashing through its head.

Behind Vincent, Cloud held out his hand and cast a Fire spell at the approaching shadows. An orange light filled the tunnel and a burst of flame flew from the orb in his hand. Three of the bugs were incinerated immediately, but as the flame dissipated he could see there were more behind them. The sound of gunshots behind him stopped as Vincent started to reload.

Tifa wasn't sure whether the monsters would reach Cloud or Vincent first, and had hoped it wouldn't become an issue. As Vincent reloaded, however, two of the insects scurried toward him. He backed up as Tifa readied herself and prepared to strike. One of the bugs seemed to take notice of her and changed its direction, hissing as it drew near.

She half-crouched as she delivered a low kick to its mouth, and was instantly glad she had her boots on. The creature locked its jaws around the toe and she could feel the twin points through the thick leather. Tifa kicked it against the tunnel wall, concentrating all the force she could on the point where the insect, her shoe, and the rock came together. One hit didn't do it, so she stomped her foot again and again. Her muscles began to ache from holding the thing aloft while it squirmed and tried to gnaw into her foot, but she felt its shell began to splinter under her repeated kicks. Its grip finally started to slacken and it slid off her boot, collapsing in a broken heap on the tunnel floor. Tifa took a shaky breath and looked back down the tunnel.

Gun reloaded, Vincent fired at the remaining insect, hitting it squarely in the mouth and knocking it to the side. More light filled the tunnel as he and Tifa spun to assist Cloud, who was sending another fireball down his end of the tight space. A loud hissing, the sound of death cries and smoking carcasses, entered their ears through the lingering ringing from the gunshots. Distantly, they heard Yuffie shout. "There's a rope! C'mon!"

"Tifa, go!" Vincent shouted over the noise. She darted toward the shaft where Yuffie was already climbing up and started to follow her until she felt the rope flex. It probably couldn't support their combined weight.

"We can only go one at a time!" she called over her shoulder, feeling exposed as she crouched and waited for Yuffie, the rope moving side to side as the ninja scampered up. There were several shots in quick succession, and she wondered if Cloud and Vincent could hold out long enough to cover her escape, let alone their own. The rope stopped moving and she grabbed hold of it, pulling herself up toward the others.

Cloud and Vincent were slowly backing out of the tunnel and into the small cavern, the insects now a full-fledged swarm coming at them. Vincent had to pause to reload again, and Cloud covered him, sending more fire out at the monsters. Cloud glanced at the cylinder of Vincent's gun, loaded with the only two cartridges he had left, before Vincent snapped it shut. "Just go – I can hold them off." Vincent nodded and stepped back quickly.

As the ex-Turk disappeared into the mine shaft, Cloud struggled to coax more power from the materia in his hand. He had never cast so many spells in quick succession and it was draining the orb's power. One more weak blast emanated out toward the bugs and the materia went dark in his hand. A couple of bugs succumbed to the fire, but more crawled over their bodies and came at him. Cloud ducked into the chute and grabbed for the rope. It sagged as he started to pull himself up, Vincent still climbing above him, but he couldn't do anything but hope it held.

The rope stretched and Cloud hesitated, hearing several fibers snap loose, but a second later Vincent reached the top and the rope was all Cloud's. He started to climb again and felt something on his leg as one of the insects below reached his foot and hauled itself onto his calf.

It sunk its jaws into his leg and Cloud gasped, one hand dropping from the rope. The pain was excruciating and he frantically kicked his leg, trying to knock the thing off but only succeeding in battering it against the sides of the mine shaft. "Cloud." Vincent's voice came from above him and he looked up, the man's outline visible as he tossed something down.

Cloud barely managed to catch Vincent's pistol and aimed it down at the creature chewing into his calf, struggling through the pain to line up the sights on the dark blur. He fired and the gun bucked in his hand as a bullet slammed into the monster's carapace, its innards spilling out and mixing with the blood running down his ankle. Another shot made it lose its grip and fall away from Cloud.

He stuffed the empty pistol into his waistband and put his hand back on the rope, shakily pulling himself up. When he reached the top, Cloud heaved himself onto the cave floor and felt Barret drag him away from the hole as the others crowded around him. Red's tail twitched and he wrinkled his nose. "I'm… going to see if it's still raining," he said, and trotted up the tunnel.

Yuffie looked at the blood and insect guts coating Cloud's pants leg around the gash and had to turn away, burying her face in Vincent's shoulder. He took a step back, but she clung to him and he tentatively patted her back a single time before looking over. Beside him, Tifa had covered her mouth and was just staring at Cloud as Aeris tended to him. Vincent started to reach out to Tifa, to comfort her, but the light from the materia glinted on the metal of his hand and he remained where he was.

Aeris tugged at the tear in Cloud's pants until the fabric split apart enough for her to get to his leg, the pale skin surrounded by dark red. "Cloud… oh, Cloud," she murmured, a worried look on her face as she uncorked a potion and poured it onto the wound. Cloud felt the pain start to subside, slowly.

"The shaft, watch out…" Cloud managed to warn. He looked over at the hole they'd pulled themselves out of, expecting to see a flood of ravenous insects pouring out.

What he actually saw was Cid pulling the pin from a grenade before dropping it down and ducking away. There were a few faint clinks as it bounced along the walls before it exploded near the bottom with a rumbling that grew as something below gave way. Barret nervously looked up at the ceiling, but the metal support beams held and the shaking subsided. Cid peered down the shaft. "I think she's all stopped up now. Ain't no way anything's gettin' up here."

The pain in Cloud's leg faded and was replaced by a dull, heavy feeling. "Can you move it?" asked Aeris, leaning over him. Cloud was surprised to find that he could, although only clumsily. "It got you pretty good, but ultimately it's a flesh wound. When we get to Gold Saucer, we'll find a stronger potion and you'll be right as rain," Aeris said, patting Cloud on his other leg before standing back.

Vincent pried Yuffie off and extended his hand. Cloud took it, getting to his feet and leaning against the tunnel wall before returning the pistol. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Red came back down the tunnel. "Still raining. Glad to see that you're alright, Cloud."

"We can't travel anyway – it's dark and we couldn't hustle if we needed to," said Cid.

Tifa looked at Yuffie and then the others. "But you all made camp for the night, right?"

Aeris replied, "The fire's gone out, but yes, the sleeping bags are still set up. We weren't totally sure where you'd fallen, Cloud, so we were checking every nook and cranny before Barret heard you."

"An' it was a good thing I did. Why'd you take so long to yell?"

Cloud paused and glanced at Yuffie before answering. "We didn't want to cause another cave-in."

"Yeah, but killer roaches were the bigger threat," Yuffie added. "Man, those things were disgusting! I mean, they _sounded_ disgusting, anyway. It was like…"

"Awright, tell us about it tomorrow. C'mon Spiky, let's get you some rest."

* * *

><p><em>AN: There's still one chapter left to resolve a couple of things. Thanks for reading to this point – praise/criticism/etc. is always welcome._


	6. Up and Away

**Chapter Six: Up and Away**

Morning came and everyone slowly made their way back to the cave entrance. Cait Sith was sleeping, but he woke up and powered on his moogle as the party approached. The group tossed their things in the open crate before sliding the lid back on, and then they headed out of the mine. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear.

The party ambled along through the damp grass, matching Cloud's pace. He walked with a slight limp, allowing Cait Sith's moogle to carry his sword but refusing to be carried himself. After an uneventful hour or two passed mostly in silence, despite Yuffie's best attempts, they came to North Corel and headed for the Ropeway. Surprisingly, a large group was waiting as the cable car slowly approached. A few children played as the men and women talked excitedly.

"I thought Corel was poor, why're there so many people going gambling?" asked Yuffie.

Cid shrugged and lit a cigarette. "Beats me, kid. We're gonna be packed in there like sardines, though. Just enough space for us to squeeze in with this next bunch."

Barret spotted someone he knew and strode over, starting up a conversation. "Hey, my man, what's up?" He threw his arm around the man and the two went over to a booth selling drinks. The rest of the group watched the cable car make its way down the rope connecting Corel to Gold Saucer.

Aeris smiled as she leaned on the railing at the edge of the platform. "I know I said this last time we were here, but look how high up it is! I bet the view's still great." She glanced at Cloud before turning back again. "If it were night, you could probably see the moon, shining over the desert…" Tifa joined Aeris in looking at the distant car hanging over the sand and grinned as if she had an idea.

She felt someone's eyes on her and turned around. Vincent gazed past her at the cable car, his expression blank. He looked odd without his cloak. Tifa's eyes moved to Cloud, who was leaning on a stack of crates just behind Vincent. He noticed her staring at him and gave her a questioning look. She responded with a smile and started to walk over before she almost ran into Barret.

"Woah, watch out, Tifa." The big man was trying to hold several glasses of cider in his arms as they slid against the barrel of his gun arm. He handed a glass to Cloud and then held out the rest for the others to take. "Riko over there says the miners saved up a while, an' they're all gonna live it up at Gold Saucer for a few days."

"Pretty smart." Cid closed his eyes to take a drag and opened them to find the others looking at him inquisitively. "What? They're enjoyin' life while they can instead of chasin' some crazy bastard halfway 'round the Planet like a buncha damn fools."

Red smirked. "You appear to be among the damn fools yourself, Cid."

"Oh, I know, I know. But I'm gonna formally suggest that we sorta kick off our shoes when we get up there. After we get Cloud patched up right we can bet on the chocobos, see a show or somethin'."

Tifa stretched and yawned a bit. "Honestly, I just want a nice bed and a shower," she said, glancing at Vincent. Their eyes briefly met. "And maybe you should get a new cloak."

Barret laughed. "If we gotta go off away from civilization again, we'll buy some flashlights so you don't have to burn your clothes next time it gets dark." The ex-Turk stared at Barret, who had already moved away to exchange a joke with Cid.

The Ropeway car approached the platform and the party moved toward it. The miners and their families got aboard first, and Cloud and the others started to squeeze into the space that was left. Cid shoved his way through the crowd until he got to one of the windows, pushing it up and leaning out to smoke, while Aeris, Red and Barret were squeezed to the center of the car. Red quickly sunk to the floor in a futile effort to avoid the roving hands of the kids who wanted to "pet the big kitty" and Aeris struggled to hold in her laughter.

Tifa found herself wedged between the door and Vincent, and backed into him to give Cloud space as he clambered on. Yuffie was right behind him, stepping into the car with a wary look.

Cait Sith was the last to climb aboard. His robot moogle backed into the car with their crate and just barely got it inside. The doors clattered shut and wedged Cloud against the large automaton, the tight space and stifling air making him dizzy. The car started to move along the rope, dipping with the weight of both Cait Sith's moogle and the crate it carried, and Yuffie started to look ill.

After a few seconds, the operator came over from his booth on the ground and opened the car door. "Alright, get that box outta there! We'll put it on the next trip." Yuffie slipped through the door and leaned with one hand on a wall outside, moaning a little.

"I'll get the next one too…" she said.

At Cait Sith's order, the moogle started to clumsily lift the crate out of the cable car. It jostled Cloud as it moved, and he almost doubled over when its foot knocked against his recovering leg. He swayed for a moment and then pushed past the robot, easing himself down. "Cloud!" Tifa called. "Are you alright?"

Cloud looked up at Tifa. Her soft brown eyes seemed to bob up and down as she peered over the crate while the Ropeway operator and Cait Sith's moogle struggled with it. "Yeah… I just can't deal with this right now," he said, taking a deep breath. "You go on ahead." The moogle managed to place the supply crate on the ground outside the car and the doors closed, bumping against the robot as it moved back into the car.

Cid leaned out of his window and pointed. "Careful, Cloud! Don't get puke on your shoes!" Cloud turned to look and saw Yuffie holding her stomach with one hand, looking like she was about to throw up. He walked over to her as the car started to move up the rope again, more steadily this time.

Cloud placed one hand on Yuffie's back, rubbing gently. "You okay?" he asked. Yuffie straightened up a bit and turned to look at him.

"I think so… it's just motion sickness. With everyone crowded in there it was swaying way too much for me to manage." She unsteadily headed over to a nearby bench and sat down. Cloud joined her and they both watched the Ropeway car slowly make its way up to Gold Saucer.

Yuffie put her arm around Cloud and leaned on him, putting her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her before asking, "What is this, Yuffie?"

"I'm tired, so I'm resting on you."

"You know that's not what I meant."

Yuffie lifted her head, looking him in the eye. "Does it have to be something? Lemme rest." She let her head fall back down and a couple of minutes passed. Cloud thought she might have fallen asleep and then she spoke again, her voice half-muffled by his shoulder. "I guess it's like, chemistry." He stiffened and she looked up at him. "But I'm not, you know, falling for you or anything." Yuffie paused and Cloud wondered if it was the first time she'd ever thought before speaking. "What about you?" she asked.

"I don't know. I thought maybe things were simple, but they aren't."

"Why not? You're hot and I'm hot and I _know_ you liked kissing me. You're a good kisser, by the way." Cloud was looking at the sky, but he had a focused air and she realized he was trying to pick out the little speck of the cable car. His eyes were easier to read in the daytime, when they were lit by the sun instead of cold Mako. "Oh."

Cloud turned to look at her. "What?"

"I get it. You shoulda said something when I first hit on you, though."

"I tried."

"Well yeah, but you were all like, 'it's not a good time.' You didn't say you had a thing for pink dresses."

The corners of Cloud's mouth edged up. "No, I didn't."

"And that's cool," Yuffie continued. "But, hey, you never know what's gonna happen in the future." She pecked him on the cheek and stood up. "One for the road."

Yuffie took a step toward where the cable car would be before she saw that it hadn't returned yet. Cloud sat on the bench and Yuffie stood beside him, rocking back and forth on the heels of her shoes. Eventually the car returned and the operator came over. "Here, let's get this thing on board." He and Yuffie hoisted the supply crate into the car, Cloud helping as much as he was able. Something inside shifted heavily as they maneuvered it aboard. Cloud and Yuffie climbed on and looked around – they were the only ones on this trip.

They took a seat as the tram started to move, and Yuffie immediately looked out the window as they cleared the platform. "Wow, Aeris was right. The view is pretty cool." Cloud turned his head to look as well.

_Thump_. "What was that?" asked Yuffie, looking up and back, toward the propellers pushing the car along the cable.

Cloud kept looking out the window. "Probably something mechanical."

There was a splintering sound and Cloud turned to see a pair of jaws coming through the thin wood of the supply crate. The two sat frozen as one of the giant insects from the cave chewed its way out of the box and slid onto the floor. It seemed slightly disoriented, but soon saw Cloud and Yuffie, letting out a hiss as it slowly crept toward them. "Gross…" said Yuffie softly.

His eyes never leaving the creature, Cloud spoke to Yuffie. "When I tell you, get over to the crate and find a weapon."

"You're not going to distract it, are you? You're hurt."

"Right, you're faster." The insect seemed to slow its approach, but its hiss got louder. Cloud focused, trying to let instinct tell him when the bug would strike… "Now!"

The ninja dove toward the box as the monster suddenly darted towards her and Cloud. He spun away as best he could and felt one claw graze him. Cloud landed on the floor and looked up at the insect, now on the seat. It was slower than the ones in the cave, probably confused by the daylight and the motion of the car moving through the air.

Yuffie got to the crate and pried the lid off as the bug made another leap toward Cloud. He managed to kick it with his good leg and knocked it away. It landed and quickly recovered as Cloud slid back on the floor, toward the corner of the car. He briefly thought about trying to fend it off with his hands, but saw its jaws clack together and knew he'd lose at least one finger.

As it approached, he kicked at it again, using both legs to try and keep it away. That didn't work and so he slid toward it, managing to pin it against the side of the car with his injured leg. The wound throbbed as the creature squirmed between his shoe and the wall. Its shell was too thick for him to hurt it.

"Cloud!" He looked over at Yuffie. She stood next to the open crate, swaying a little as she aimed a shotgun. "Get away from it!" As Cloud felt the bug start to work its way out from between his shoe and the side of the car, he managed to half-kick, half-slide it toward her and roll away, wincing as the muscles in his wounded calf twisted.

The monster was in the middle of the car now and Yuffie fired, the shot deafening in the small space. A spray of buckshot tore apart the insect and punched a hole in the bottom of the car, chunks of guts and carapace falling out. Yuffie spun and almost dropped the gun as the recoil slammed the stock into her shoulder.

Cloud pushed himself off the floor and leaned against the side of the car, catching his breath before looking up at Yuffie. She still held the shotgun, resting the muzzle on the floor while she rubbed her shoulder. Cloud smiled slightly. "That almost seems like overkill." His voice sounded faint through the ringing from the blast.

"Hey, quit complaining." She grinned. "This is the first thing I came up with, you oughta be thankin' me." Cloud held up his hands, trying to convey innocence while asking for help in getting up. Yuffie laid the gun on top of the crate, grimacing slightly as her shoulder moved, and helped him into a seat.

They settled in, looking out the window once again as they passed through a cloud. Yuffie frowned and then giggled. "I wonder if the view through the floor's any better." Cloud looked over at the jagged hole in the bottom of the car and saw a dismembered insect leg slip through as a gust of wind gently rocked the car. He looked back out the window and yawned.

The two leaned against each other as they cleared the clouds and Gold Saucer came into view, gleaming in the afternoon sun.

* * *

><p><em>AN: And that's the end of this little tale of getting sidetracked. I couldn't resist leaving off with Yuffie shooting a giant bug with a shotgun – might just be me, but the image seems strangely hilarious. Thanks for reading!_


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